This inexplicable black eye for Apple, of course, is not likely to affect the company’s financial performance. Sales of black iPhones are booming. The company sold 14.1 million iPhones in the most recent quarter, a 91 percent surge from a year earlier.

The latest delay was first reported by Reuters.

If the white iPhone indeed arrives in the spring, it is not clear how well it will sell. Apple typically unveils new iPhones in the summer, and many customers may prefer to wait for a new release.